Why in News?
Recently, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released a report that highlights the benefits of gender-inclusive agricultural technology for women farmers.
- The report provides a global overview of gender-inclusive agricultural technology and emphasizes how such innovations can help women farmers reach their full potential.
- It also outlines strategies for market expansion, focusing on how these technologies can empower women in the agricultural sector.
Role of Indian Women in Agriculture
- In emerging economies, especially India, women’s participation in agriculture is remarkably high. They contribute significantly in various commercial value chains, including crops like cotton, sugarcane, tea, coffee, and cashews, where women account for nearly 50% of the workforce.
- Despite their significant involvement, women earn up to 60% less than their male counterparts. This income disparity arises due to limited access to finance, training, and agricultural technologies, which restrict their overall potential and growth.
- Women are primarily responsible for harvesting activities in the fields. They work long hours, often handling both agricultural tasks and household responsibilities, which limits their productivity and overall well-being.
- The physical demands of farming, combined with prolonged working hours, take a toll on women’s health.
- Despite these challenges, women continue to play a pivotal role in Indian agriculture, highlighting the need for gender-inclusive policies and technologies to address these barriers and enhance their contribution to the sector.
Feminization of Agriculture: Shift in India’s Farming Sector
- The feminization of agriculture refers to the increasing participation of women as the primary workforce in the agricultural sector. With the growth of mobile and internet coverage, this trend presents an attractive business case for adopting gender-inclusive agricultural technologies.
- Women farmers are emerging as key customers who require tailored agricultural solutions to address their unique challenges. This shift highlights the need for innovative solutions that cater specifically to women in the farming community.
- According to the Economic Survey of India (2017-18), the migration of men from villages to cities has contributed to the growing involvement of women in agriculture. This has significantly increased their role in farming activities.
- The rising participation of women in agriculture is not a temporary trend but a structural change that demands long-term strategies. The increase in the proportion of skilled agricultural workers among women—rising from 48% in 2018-19 to 59.4% in 2022-23—illustrates the expanding role women are playing in more specialised agricultural tasks.
- Over the same period, the share of primary agricultural workers among women has declined from 23.4% to 16.6%, signaling that women are transitioning into more market-oriented roles, moving away from traditional labor-intensive tasks.
- Women working in agriculture are predominantly in the age group of 15-45 years, with the likelihood of being involved in farming activities being twice as high as those over 45 years. This trend indicates that younger women are becoming more engaged in agriculture, often adopting technology quickly.
- As more women take on leadership roles in agriculture, many are embracing digital platforms like WhatsApp, rapidly adopting technological advancements. This shift is creating a valuable new market segment for technology providers.
Challenges Faced by Women in Agriculture
- According to the report, a significant barrier is the dual burden of household responsibilities and farming work, which severely restricts their time and productivity.
- Social norms further complicate their situation by restricting their access to resources and control over them. This limits women’s ability to fully participate in and benefit from agricultural advancements, including innovations in digital agricultural technologies.
- Technology adoption among women is on the rise, with many quickly embracing tools and platforms that support agricultural progress. However, these challenges continue to hinder their overall ability to fully capitalize on new innovations and enhance productivity in farming.
- Women’s ability to contribute to agricultural development is obstructed by these ingrained barriers, making it essential to address these gender-based obstacles in order to enable them to unlock their full potential in the sector
The 5Ps Strategy for Empowering Women Farmers
To better serve women farmers, the report recommends a 5Ps strategy—Product, Price, Promotion, Place, and People. This approach focuses on addressing the unique needs of women in agriculture.
- Product Design: The first step is to create agricultural technologies that meet the specific needs of all customer segments, including women. Technology service providers should engage with women farmers from the beginning of the design process to ensure their needs are incorporated. Once the product is developed, service providers must make it affordable for women farmers and encourage its adoption.
- Promotion: Effective promotion is crucial to maximizing impact. To reach women farmers, it’s important for service providers to emphasize the benefits and relevance of the product in all promotional efforts. The product should be showcased as a solution tailored to the challenges women face in agriculture.
- Place: To ensure widespread access, agricultural technology solutions should be available through channels that are easily accessible to women. This can include utilizing areas where women are more present or locations where social and cultural mobility barriers do not limit their access to technology.
- People: By increasing the presence of women in frontline roles, companies can expand their reach and create more inclusive and effective relationships with diverse farming communities, especially women. This step helps build stronger connections and enables better service delivery.
Government’s Role in Empowering Women Farmers
The report highlights several systemic challenges that hinder the full participation of women in agriculture, and it emphasizes the critical role of governments and development organisations in addressing these issues.
- Data Collection on Gender Roles: One of the primary actions governments can take is to focus on the collection of data regarding gender roles in agriculture. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive, gender-disaggregated data on agricultural participation, which makes it difficult to design policies and programs that specifically address women’s needs.
- Improving Access to Agricultural Jobs: Governments should also work to improve access to quality agricultural jobs for women. By investing in training programs, financial support, and career advancement opportunities, governments can empower women to move from informal to more formalised and dignified roles in agriculture.
- Promoting Women-Centered Farmer organisations: Another key recommendation is the establishment of women-centered farmer organisations. These organisations can provide a platform for women farmers to organise, advocate, and collaborate. By forming these networks, women can gain greater visibility in decision-making processes.
- Creating an Online Registry for Women’s SHGs and FPOs: Governments can also play a pivotal role by creating an online registry for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer Producer organisations (FPOs) focused on women. This registry can serve as a centralized database where women farmers, cooperatives, and organisations can register, access resources, and connect with each other.
- Supporting Gender-Sensitive Policies and Subsidies: Governments can integrate gender-sensitive policies in their agricultural programs, ensuring that subsidies, loans, and grants specifically target women farmers.
- Addressing Infrastructure Barriers: Another essential area for government intervention is improving infrastructure in rural areas, particularly regarding transportation, access to electricity, internet connectivity, and storage facilities. By addressing these barriers, women will be able to better access markets, increase the efficiency of their farming practices, and leverage digital agriculture technologies.
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